September 23, 2026 | 02:59 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Banten Regional Police revealed that DNA matching results from antemortem samples of a body found on Enggano Island, Bengkulu, confirmed the identity of Surakman, also known as Sukarman (60), a crew member aboard the KM Arupadatu I speedboat that went missing in the Sunda Strait, Pandeglang, on Monday, September 7, while carrying a group of journalists.
Banten Police Chief Insp. Gen. Hengki explained that the confirmation followed an in-depth examination and DNA matching conducted by the Disaster Victim Investigation (DVI) team from the Indonesian National Police’s Health and Medical Center (Pusdokkes Polri).
"Based on the DNA analysis performed by the DVI team on the body recovered from Enggano Island, genetically cataloged as PM/62/P.Enggano/01, it's identified as Sukarman, a crew member and the biological father of Yayan," Hengki stated during an online press briefing monitored from Tangerang on Wednesday.
He noted that the identification process began with a search and rescue operation for eight missing individuals—five journalists and three crew members—aboard the KM Arupadatu I, which lost contact after departing Pagedongan Carita Pier in Pandeglang Regency at 2:00 p.m. Western Indonesia Time (WIB) to cover the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau.
Following days of intensive efforts by a joint search and rescue team, a breakthrough emerged on Saturday, September 12. Officers from the Bengkulu Regional Police recovered an unidentified male body in the waters off Sawang Bengkok, Kahyapu Village, within Enggano District.
Acting on the discovery, the Banten Regional Police Medical Unit coordinated with local authorities to secure the body and transport it via a Cessna aircraft to the Bhayangkara Hospital at the Bengkulu Regional Police headquarters for forensic analysis.
"The Banten Regional Police Medical Unit dispatched antemortem and postmortem data collected from the families of all eight missing victims. The DVI team, alongside senior medical officers, then performed primary identification checks, comparing fingerprints, dental records, and DNA samples," Hengki explained.
Following the conclusion of the identification process, Sukarman's remains are scheduled to be flown from Bengkulu to Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Tangerang before being transported to a funeral home in Pandeglang.
"The body will be transferred tomorrow from the medical facility in Bengkulu to Soekarno-Hatta Airport for final handover to the family," the police chief added.
Read: How BRIN Simulates Paths of Journalists Missing Near Anak Krakatau
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